Canton College of Science

Founded by Dr. Andrew Patton Happer, a missionary of Presbyterian Church in Guangzhou, the Canton College of Science was a famous mission school in the 19th century.

Dr. Happer graduated from a medical college in the U.S. in 1844. Later he came to China and began his missionary career in Guangzhou and Macao. In 1847, he set up a small school in Guangzhou. In 1854, he gave up his medical career and devoted himself completely to education. He added a school for girls to his college, which became a theological college later. In 1887, he raised funds from the U.S., and set up the Canton College of Science.

There were 30 students in the first session, including Chen Shaobai, who later became a loyal assistant to Dr. Sun Yat-sen. There were courses such as English, mathematics, physics, chemistry as well as Chinese classic literature taught by Chinese teachers and regular lessons on the Bible. In 1907, the college was renamed Canton Christian College and a medical department was added to the college. Later, it was renamed again as Canton Christian University while its medical department became a branch of St. John's University.